Most present day digital meters employ visual displays such as gas-discharge devices or light-emitting diodes which draw a considerable amount of power when energized. Accordingly, when designed for portable field use such meters have employed relatively large, rechargeable batteries. While liquid crystal displays operate at lower power and can thus be powered by small batteries, they do not function at extreme temperatures, and moreover, they are difficult to read.
Digital meters of the portable type thus employ rather costly rechargeable batteries making the manufacturing cost high and requiring frequent recharging of the batteries. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a portable digital meter suitable for field use and employing non-rechargeable batteries.